At his first news conference as president-elect Friday, Obama was asked whether he had spoken to ex-presidents to prepare for the transition. The Illinois Democrat said he had "spoken to all of them—that are living." He added: "I didn't want to get into a Nancy Reagan thing about, you know, doing any seances."

Within minutes, the conservative blogosphere was rippling with outrage over Obama's unfortunate attempt at humor.

Friday was a busy mix of personal and professional obligations for President-elect Barack Obama. Here's an abbreviated look, based in part on information from the reporting pool that follows him nearly everywhere he goes.

Candidates for president are often criticized for "measuring the drapes" before being elected. When Barack and Michelle Obama head for the White House on Monday, they will get a tour and can even bring along a tape measure, if they like.

In a speech that stirred political controversy in two countries, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Congress on Tuesday that negotiations underway between Iran and the United States would "all but guarantee" that Tehran gets nuclear weapons to the detriment of the entire world.

David Petraeus, the former CIA director and top Army general whose affair with his biographer brought down what many considered a bright political future, has agreed to plead guilty to mishandling classified materials.

Hillary Rodham Clinton used a personal email account during her time as secretary of state, rather than a government-issued email address, potentially hampering efforts to archive official government documents required by law.